Coronation Street's Paddy Bever stepped into the shoes of Max Turner in 2020.
The young actor arrived on the cobbles with a heavy weight on his shoulders - taking over the decade-long role from its previous star, Harry McDermott. In the short time he's been with the Corrie family, Paddy has been involved in some major storylines.
On the Cobbles he's recently found himself in trouble with the law but his real life is a far cry from the struggling teenager he plays. Paddy embraced the role and was welcomed by viewers so much so he managed to walk away with a National Television Award despite this being his first professional time on screen.
READ MORE: Coronation Street fans 'feel sick' and admit they 'can't watch'
Soap Recast
Max Turner has been played by two separate actors on Coronation Street, with Harry McDermott taking on the role in 2010. Harry was involved in some huge storylines for the character, including the deaths of his parents Callum Logan and Kylie Platt in separate incidents.
However, after 10 years of playing the role, Harry left in 2020 as soap bosses planned for the character to take on more mature storylines.
A spokesperson for Coronation Street said: "We have all watched Harry grow up alongside Max Turner for the past 11 years and we want to thank him for everything he has brought to the character.
"It is always a difficult decision to recast a role and we look forward to following Harry’s career as he continues with his acting studies and explores other opportunities. We wish him every success for the future."
Since then, Max has been played by Paddy Beaver, who despite playing a teenager is actually 20 years old in real life. Paddy also revealed to the Manchester Evening News that he won the role while taking his A-Level exams.
He said: "I had an A-level the next day so I made the decision not to revise for the A-level and focus on the tape. I then didn’t hear anything for a month so I presumed I hadn’t got it and then I got called for a screen test which was so exciting.
"I was so nervous but when I got there it just struck me that everyone was so lovely. I did my screen test with Jack Shepherd [David] then a week later I found out I’d got the role which was amazing.
"I also somehow got an A in the A-level I didn’t revise for so it all worked out ok in the end!"
Since then, Paddy's portrayal of Max has seen him taking on a number of hard-hitting storylines, with the character's recent arrest set to bring more drama to the cobbles, the Daily Star reported.
Rising Star
Paddy has certainly made an impact on the cobbles, and in 2022, the actor was given the Rising Star Prize at the National Television Awards 2022.
The Coronation Street actor also had plenty of competition for the award, including Netflix Heartstopper stars Kit Connor and Joe Locke, as well as Bridgerton's Charithra Chandran.
When the award was announced, the actor looked surprised and was cheered by his co-stars as he ran on stage to collect the accolade, revealing that this was his "first ever acting job."
Paddy later shared a photograph of himself on Instagram, with a caption that said: "Thank you." His Corrie co-stars flocked to the comments section to congratulate Paddy, with Toyah Habeeb star Georgia Taylor said: "Yes, Paddy! We bloomin adore you."
Abi Webster star Sally Carmen added: "Amaaaaaaazing," while the official Corrie social media pages shared a post that said: "Incredibly proud of our Paddy. Thank you once again to everyone at home for voting."
Life away from the cobbles
Paddy has regularly kept in touch with his followers via his Instagram page, but tends to keep his personal life away from the public eye.
However, it is known that Coronation Street is his first acting role after previously being a member of the Cheadle Hulme Players Youth Theatre.
He also attended the Manchester School of Acting before landing his role on the cobbles.
'Forever love' and sweet co-star messages
Paddy celebrated his 20th birthday in November 2022, with his Corrie co-star sharing the love for the young star on his Instagram page. The actor shared snaps of him celebrating with friends, and an adorable snap of him holding his dog, before heading out to a concert.
Actress Cait Fitton, who plays his on-screen girlfriend Lauren, wished the star happy birthday as she shared a sweet message and said: "Hope you had the best birthday angel - forever love."
Maria Connor star Samia Longchambon said: "Happy birthday darling!", while Sarah Platt actress Tina O'Brien said: "Oh my goodness Paddy why didn’t you say it was your birthday?! I’m so sorry I didn’t realise. Happy Birthday! Have a gorgeous evening."
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